


Blood and Bone

by Konori



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BAMF Tony Stark, Bucky is just tired of HYDRA incompetence, But he is, Exasperated Winter Soldier, Merchant of Death Tony Stark, Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Tony is intrigued, Tony looked like a good option, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, and he shouldn't be
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-18 21:36:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20198551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Konori/pseuds/Konori
Summary: Tony isn't sure what he's supposed to do in this situation.Well, more like he isn't sure what wewantsto do in this situation.It's not everydaytheWinter Soldier is given to you as a gift from a -clearly harassed and scared- client.





	Blood and Bone

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [ready to comply.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17254094) by [rightsidethru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rightsidethru/pseuds/rightsidethru). 

> So a prompt I saw at the end of another fanfic (see above) and my stupid brain wouldn't let me leave it on the "shelf" while I was working on Skin Deep. I took a slightly different spin on it, but here's the prompt:
> 
> Before Afghanistan, Merchant of Death, Tony Stark, encounters the Winter Soldier (not as a target). Maybe he's a present from a grateful client. Maybe someone is trying to impress Stark with something he's never seen before. I feel like there are black market conventions. Tony would know about the Winter Soldier. Explore that! Evil!Tony & Bucky AU's are fine if played more for humor and dark endings.

Merchant of Death.

He likes it. It has a certain… gravitas that satisfies him.

Tony absentmindedly cleans his sunglasses as Jarvis dictates Vanity Fair’s recent spread on him over the car speakers -it’s on auto-drive, Happy, we're _fine. All of it was written without an interview, of course, so most of it is speculation and postulating. Ms. Everhart -who does most of these articles- gleefully tries to rip apart his character with conjecture, and he _could_ give two shits, but he doesn’t. Happy does, if his bitching is anything to go by._

He’s the best at what he does, after all. Why wouldn’t he be proud of it? It’s not his fault she doesn’t report the other things he and SI work on.

Though the information on the dark web he tasked Jarvis to keep an eye on is becoming concerning. Especially when it mentions Afghanistan and SI. He’ll need to look into it soon, just to make sure SI is providing the military well enough to keep Rhodey as safe as possible.

But today, there’s a weapons convention to attend, ‘rivals’ to show up, and people to convince they don’t _actually_ need their money. It’ll keep Obi off his back, at least for a little while. Why the hell he’s supposed to attend this one in Chicago -of all cities- he’ll bitch about to Pepper later. She’s the one who sets these up anyway. Probably something Obie convinced her to do 'for Tony's own good' or some bullshit.

Tony pulls up to the curb, a valet opening the door, letting Happy out, who immediately tries to get Tony’s door.

“Almost,” Tony grins as he steps out, patting the exasperated man on the shoulder. “Go have fun in the city, Hap, I'll let you know when I'm about ready to leave.”

“But I’m supposed to-”

“Happy, I’ll be fine. This place is going to be monitored to kingdom come with all these prototypes and military big wings around. Go, have fun.”

Happy looks less than impressed by his answer, but Tony doesn’t give him the chance to argue. Just walks around him and the car, waving at the paparazzi and fans as he walks to the doors.

It almost felt like the red carpet.

Once inside he grabs his badge -quickly grabbing a sticky one and writing on it before plastering it over his tag, ignoring the nervous look the concierge gives him for it- and makes his way into the convention.

The first display he sees is for Hammer Tech.

Tony _almost_ leaves right then.

But seeing as Hammer isn’t handling his company’s display…

“Jarvis?”

“Hammer is not in attendance, Sir.”

His baby boy already knows him so well.

“Thanks, J. Keep me posted,” he says as he steps further into the convention, glancing around at the displays -not Hammer’s-, trying to find something or someone of interest.

He stops as a prickle travels up his spine and feigns one of the displays catching his attention. It doesn’t, but no one needs to know that.

“Of course, Sir. Shall I also direct you to rivals you enjoy harassing?”

“Thrill me.”

“Mr. Adrian is two slots down displaying a _revolutionary_ new handgun model,” Jarvis says and continues to go through the list of Tony’s go-to entertainment when forced to attend these things as Tony listens with half an ear.

He looks over the booth he’s wandered to -not Adrian’s, he’s next- noting the eager faces and the tank piercing round they are displaying next to a model for a tank redesign. He picks the artillery round up -interest actually caught, surprisingly-, testing the proposed weight, and looking over the design.

It needs work, but it’s promising. It’ll pierce but won’t rip through a tank’s hull like it’s supposed to. He sets it down and looks over the tank model and the schematics for it, ignoring the two startups as they bicker at each other quietly. Same as the round, the design needs refinement, but that’s easily solved.

He reaches into his jacket and pulls out his card, holding it out for one of them to take it. They stare at him with wide eyes. He rolls his own.

“It won’t bite. One of you take the card,” Tony says with a grin. “Give that number a call if you feel like bringing this to SI and joining a team. Make sure they know you come as a package deal. Later boys!”

He turns away and heads to Adrian’s booth.

“We’re being watched,” he mumbles, knowing Jarvis will hear.

“Technically, Sir, only _you_ can be watched. You should also be used to it by now.”

“The sass on you,” he chuckles, eyes glancing around behind his sunglasses. “But this less ‘bless that ass’ and more ‘kill that ass’.”

“Perish the thought, Sir.”

Jarvis directs him to Adrian’s booth -it’s two slots away from where he first felt the ‘eyes of doom’ on him. The feeling doesn’t leave as he arrives and gives Adrian his best ‘smile’. He picks up the prototype gun, mindlessly disassembling it in moments after glancing over the design. Adrian’s tech starts boasting that it will never catch, has barely any recoil, and has the power to punch through brick despite its size.

“What do you think, Stark,” Adrian asks with a smarmy grin on his pocked face. “I think it’ll leave your designs to the history books soon.”

Tony runs his fingers over the different parts, only glancing at Adrian as he spoke before ignoring him completely. He eyes weapon critically before reassembling the gun faster than he had taken it apart and aims it around -the clip isn’t loaded, stop worrying-, staying a few seconds in each spot.

Tony clocks in on his stalker up on the second-floor terrace. The guy us covered from head to toe -Jarvis had kindly zoomed in the sunglasses- in dark leather combat fatigues, and a half-mask covers his lower face. His eyes are covered with deep red goggles. Pity.

Tony absorbs that information in seconds before he moves his sights to another area of the terrace to keep the guy from realizing he’s noticed his stalker. Unfortunately, he spots three more people watching him who give off _almost_ the same vibe as -he has dubbed- Terminator over there. Which means there are probably more among the crowd.

“Well, that’s not good,” he mumbles, bringing the gun down and handing it back to Adrian with a sharp grin.

The prototype is loaded -ha, _puns_\- with flaws. It will catch after one hundred rounds; the recoil will be horrible after fifty, the sight is off, and the nicks in the chamber will cause mild misfires before jamming the mechanism with powder build-up even if cleaned.

Back to the problem at hand.

“Hey, J?”

“Yes, Sir?”

“KIPs is afoot.”

“I’d prefer if you hadn't shortened ‘kidnapping in progress’ into such a chipper acronym, Sir,” his youngest _nearly_ sighs. “Shall I alert the local authorities?”

Tony hums as he arrives at Bane’s neck of the mire to inspect another gun. He picks it up and barely holds back his disgust.

“Doesn’t anyone have any artistry? This thing is bulky as hell,” he mutters petulantly.

“Sir?”

Tony aims around again with this monstrosity, wanting to linger on Terminator, but knows better than to actually do it. He has _some_ survival instinct, thank you very much _Rhodey_.

“Let’s play a game first.”

“Which one, Sir?” Jarvis drawls. “LEET? KAMP?”

“Let’s Entrap Enemies Together and Kick-Ass, Make Peace are brilliant, and you know it.”

“If it helps you sleep, Sir.”

“Sass, that’s all I get from you, J,” he grumbles. “We’re playing ITCHI.”

“Miss Potts would agree with this one, Sir.”

“I’mma Totally Clueless Hot Idiot _always_ works, Jarvis.”

“The fact that it does, Sir, defies logic,” Jarvis does sigh this time. “I’m sure I’ll regret this.”

Tony barely keeps himself from giggling with excitement.

Jarvis takes a moment to run calculations per ITCHI protocols before his baby boy leads him around. They leave behind a path of subtle humiliation, almost a dozen new investors, several possible recruits, and a gleeful sense of frustration as they leave carefully calculated openings for the KIPs which get thwarted or avoided at the last moment.

Tony had thought when Jarvis first started leading, that his baby boy would give him the least amount of satisfaction in the face of keeping him safe. He’s proud -and giddy- to know, that as long as he isn’t _really_ in danger, Jarvis will let them both have some fun.

Before he knows it, two hours have passed, and all the KIPs but Terminator have tried to grab him. Must be the ‘mastermind’ or the last resort…

“Having fun, J?”

“If I am, I assure you I couldn’t tell you.”

“Sassy. But, I’m done with this scene. Hail the authorities and get us out of here unseen, baby boy.”

“I must insist that you refrain from calling me that, Sir,” Jarvis says, and odd lilt in his voice that makes Tony snicker.

“Don’t be embarrassed! You’re my youngest, after all.”

“I _insist_.”

“Spoilsport.”

Tony and Jarvis wander around until J tells him the FBI, CIA, and the LEOs have arrived and are in the process surrounding the building. It shouldn’t take them long to apprehend the KIPs with the pictures Jarvis provided them.

As Jarvis leads him around, keeping them out of sight and toward the nearest clear exit, he makes Tony stop behind a pillar.

“The masked man has been able to follow us from the second floor despite my best efforts, Sir. We will need a distraction if we are going to escape unseen,” he says, almost petulantly.

“Distraction…” he mumbles as he looks around the pillar to see what’s in his immediate area. “I can do that.”

Hello, Bane’s booth.

“Make an alternate exit, J just in case the smoke doesn’t cover that exit. Is the fire department here?”

“The fire department, Sir?”

Tony can’t keep the grin off his face as he pulls out his phone, tapping the screen as he shoves his other hand into his pocket -because buttons are last century even if SI isn’t producing electronics as he wants; he’s not going to live in the stone age with Obi and the board- and navigates to the custom app he’s looking for. Pressing a few commands, he feels the nanobots -sue him, he got bored and was a little more than sleep-deprived- tickle his skin as they come out of his watch. Tony feels them crawl up his arm and up to his neck. Seconds later, he hears the buzzing of a fly and smirks.

Now he waits.

Moments later, there’s yelling, the fire alarms go off, and the tingle of tiny bots on his wrist as he walks to the exit Jarvis instructs him to.

“I didn’t realize you had gotten so far with the nanotech, Sir.”

Tony barely holds back a giggle. His kid sounds so _miffed_ at being left out.

“Keep your processors cool, J. I’m working on getting you into my labs at SI. Then you can help me with all my projects.”

“_All_ of them, Sir?”

“Of course, _all_ of them. I trust you like I do Rhodey.”

Jarvis goes silent until he directs Tony down another hall. Tony doesn’t try to keep the giddy grin off his face.

Jarvis finally leads him to a door leading outside just as the sounds of the fire department arriving and the authorities making announcements over their megaphones. Exiting the building, he realizes Jarvis lead him to the complete opposite side of the building. Just in time too, Tony can see the FBI starting to head to this end of the building. He listens with one ear as Jarvis leads him away so he doesn’t have to deal with the authorities and with the other, he calls Happy to get him from a diner he sees just down the street. He’s craving a cheeseburger. Ignoring Happy’s frantic questions as to why he’s hearing from the _radio_ that the entire alphabet soup of government agencies are storming the convention, and ‘why the hell didn’t you call me?!’.

“Happy, I’ll explain. Just meet me at the diner first,” Tony says then hangs up.

The tingle of being watched tenses his shoulders, but he doesn’t turn around, just raises a hand and slips whoever they are off.

He’s ninety percent sure it’s Terminator.

“I highly suggest _against_ antagonizing individuals whose preliminary scans indicate they are carrying a multitude of firearms, Sir,” J drawls.

Tony’s grin is full of teeth as he stuffs his hand back in his pocket.

“Where’s the fun in that, J?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Asset watches the target walk away from the building, the man’s hand raised in the air, and his middle finger sticking up.

It’s amusing for some reason.

The target seems to have known they were here for him. The Asset wonders how a civilian could have discovered his team. His Handler had ordered him not to underestimate Tony Stark, yet that is what his Handler and his team seem to have done. Listening to them try and rationalize their failures over the com had been entertaining… until the Asset realized they hadn’t realized Stark had somehow already detected them and was playing a complicated game of cat and mouse.

The Asset isn’t sure who was playing what role while it was happening.

While watching his team fail, the Asset had felt the… unexpected urge to test himself against this man -see if Stark could slip passed him-, but he had orders to wait until they had Stark incapacitated before the Asset was to take him away while the rest of the team made sure their absconding with the man remained unnoticed.

The Asset isn’t pleased as he watches Stark continue down the street. He’s going to be the one to pay for his Handler’s incompetence. Still, he resigns himself to his fate as he waits for orders -seeing as his Handler and the team are being taken into custody.

His com crackles with static as the channel changes. Stark’s already out of sight and the night is filled with chattering. People gawk at the arrests, and the firefighters are running into the building.

“Soldat, are you in custody?”

“Nyet.”

“Return to the safe house immediately for extraction.”

“Da.”

Later, as he takes the punishment, he doesn’t tell them what he suspects of Stark when they demand a report as to went wrong. Instead, he lies and tells them one of the team tipped off the security while trying to grab Stark.

Days after, his former Handler and his team’s bodies are thrown before him, his new Handler, and his team as a statement.

The Asset doubts they will live long.

**Author's Note:**

> Love me some comments/constructive crits and kudos!
> 
> Hit me up on my [Tumblr](https://konoriart.tumblr.com/) to if you want to chat!


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